Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Indore, have developed a special storage technology based on LED light that protects farmers’ fruits and vegetables from spoilage and helps extend their shelf life, said on Wednesday a manager.

The technology uses photodynamic inactivation (PDI) of microbes using a specially designed kit, which uses a safely derived vitamin B2 spray as a photosensitizer and a flash visible light source at effective wavelengths of 455 and 476 nm (nanometers), he said.

This combination destroys microbes present on opened and packaged food products, ensuring complete sterilization and preventing microbial reproduction, the official explained.

He said this innovative technology can prove very beneficial, especially for small-scale growers who want to keep their produce safe at home until they get better prices.

“With the help of our technology, fruits and vegetables can be preserved for 30-40 days without cold storage in a 10 x 10 sq ft room at a cost of just Rs 1,000 per month,” Debayan said Sarkar, professor at IIT Indore.

He explained that through this technology, blue and green LED light of a special wavelength is projected onto fruits and vegetables and a special spray of vitamin B2 is applied to them as a photosensitizer, thereby protecting them from spoilage , extending their shelf life and keeping them fresh. longer.

The system has been linked to a mobile application that allows farmers to monitor fruits and vegetables even while staying away from their storage rooms, Sarkar claimed.